Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-18
FUTURE OF THE WEATHER H.
REAU.
Likely to Become a Branch Of the
Civil Service.
ARMY OFFICERS GENERALLY IN FAVOR OF SUCH A
CHANGE

since Gen. Hazen'S death a STAR reporter has
ouked with number Of army officers and officials
about the question OF his successor and they are
unanimous in their belief that the weather bureau
VIII be taken from the War department and es-
taollShed In civil service department OF the gov
ernment
1T would have been perhaps unwise and inn
proper 10 take the weather bureau out OF Gen.
Hazen's hands year ago when there was so much
taik about it," said an officer OF prominence and
influence, "and leave him blfgadier general with
nothing 10 command and but handful OF signal
men, out now there is 10 such objection. II II is
ever desirable TO make 4 change now is the time.
Ihere is no officer at the head OF the signal corps
VINO would feel such action 4 degradation and
an Insult, ard who would naturally oppose such
leglSat1On with all he influence he could bring To
pear ana Congress isin session and the matter could
pe prougHt 10 Its att ention Immediately. believe
measure making the weather bureau civil in its
character ould meet with no material opposition:
none Would arise either from the War department
enlisted men would not object The weather
bureau does not belong 10 the army. There is
nothing military about it. The work could be
equally we'll if not better done by civilians. The
sixteen ID lieutenants OF the signal corps could
be- transferred TO the line OF the army, as
they themselves wish. and could be retained
,.cg Mould be nlled by competent civilians.
maintaining an expensive signal corps. with
nothing TO do but practice signaling. That work
CtiIu Up carried on successfully throughout the
army without difficulty. The school of application
al Fort Leayenworth and the school at Fortress
Monroe could make speciality OF signal inStruc-
ton, and even at the various military posts the
work could be made part OF the regulation du-
Ties. aud practiced signal men would always be
available
Another officer who has been on signal service
duty for some time said: ''The argument hereto
lore advanced that military discipline is neces-
Saly 10 secure prompt and accurate observations
Is almost absurd. With the weather bureau
civil establishment observers would be even more
careful thtn now to attend strictly To their
duties. The entire public interested in the
weather forecasts in their respective neghbor-
hoods would he on the lookout 10 detect inaCcu.
raCieS and negligence. II. by accident or other
wise. an observer failed to take an observation the
results would not he as serious as they ale now
ii sometimes happens now that an observer does
fali 10 lake an observation. TI:, result
is he is afraid to acknowledge his oversight and
VIII send guess 0b>eryatO and stick 10 il which
may differ 50 materially nom all Others in that
section of the country as TO lead 10 the belief that
an atmospheric phenomenon occurred there and
send all predictions astray. without Tear OF a
coult-Inarrial, that observer could acknowledge
his mistake. and by striking an average at the
main oilIct. from nelghborng stations no mistake
in the weather forecasts would follow. AIN salts
ned that a civilian weather bureau would be
success"